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mickeygelum
02-05-2006, 02:56 PM
I am curious as to why most have pursued Aikido...If you would kindly share your thoughts I would be very grateful.

Mickey

Adam Alexander
02-05-2006, 03:05 PM
I wanted to be a tough-guy.

Now I don't care about being tough. I care about understanding more and more techniques. When you start to see one or two things that are totally amazing, you want to find the next one.

That's me atleast.

Derek Gaudet
02-05-2006, 04:05 PM
Why Aikido?

Simply because ;) ....

Jeanne Shepard
02-05-2006, 04:11 PM
Because it's the Lo-Carb Martial Art!

Jeanne :p

ESimmons
02-05-2006, 05:41 PM
I wanted to wear a skirt.

crbateman
02-05-2006, 07:56 PM
Here's my very aiki answer... Why not? :D

Dajo251
02-05-2006, 08:30 PM
to get the super mind powers of course.......

Mark Uttech
02-05-2006, 08:42 PM
For me, aikido was just "basic buddhism"

Michael Hackett
02-05-2006, 10:30 PM
I was exposed to some aikido techniques in the Sheriff's Academy, largely nikyo and sankyo. They worked for me and my DT instructor was a nidan in aikido. I couldn't train during my entire career and couldn't get into a dojo quickly enough when I retired.

Lan Powers
02-05-2006, 11:37 PM
From the awe in my Karate instructors voice when he told us about Aikido ....
I was 11 in ' 71.
Impressionable age.
Lan

Sonja2012
02-06-2006, 12:54 AM
Because my husband suggested it. I didnīt have a clue of what I was getting into, but I was hooked after the first class straight away.

Robert Townson
02-06-2006, 02:11 AM
I wanted to do a martial art, but am not into competion. When my bro told me about the class he'd started I though I'd go down and see what it was like. The fact u get to throw ppl around and play with sticks also helped. :D

2years later I'm still at it, but my bro has stopped.

Dirk Hanss
02-06-2006, 02:34 AM
Idid quit karate as competition ambition was not good for the development of my personality. But i wanted to do martial art and after I started, I recognised it is fun, much fun.

Dirk

Carl_001
02-06-2006, 03:29 AM
Lets face it, most people take up martial arts as a means of self-defence or for fitness and excerise if you are and older person. Which is pretty much what I did, however I started with Taekwondo at the age of 12 and enjoy most aspects of it. However I suppose I was inspired by the great 'Seagal' to take up aikido. When I heard it was an art not requiring physical size or strength (I am reasonably skinny) I knew it was the art for me. But since the aikido has brought about not just technique but a whole new approach to life, which I think a lot of other arts lack.

ian
02-06-2006, 04:05 AM
Embarassingly I got into it because I saw people playing with jo's in 'Coming to America' and asked a kungfu friend where I could do that. However I stayed with it because there is always something to discover, and improving your ability in aikido is a never-ending task. Also, the people were fun and the concepts behind it were so different to anything I had ever thought of before, although now I realise that these principles should exist in all martial arts. I suppose, as well, that the whole thing makes sense; both from a self-defence and philosophical aspect. Regardless of whether I continue to train in aikido, I can never deny that I've been 'touched' by it, and it's changed who I am.

Mark Freeman
02-06-2006, 04:43 AM
I started after reading a book - "Aikido in Daily Life" by Koichi Tohei
I liked it because it is a 'total' practice needing mind, body and spirit.
I continue because I love being a student and a teacher of a true 'Art'

Mark

justinmaceachern
02-06-2006, 06:11 AM
You know for the longest time i have been looking for "the way" and i have found it "Aikido".
" A man who can fight, is tough"
"A man who can walk away holds the true power"

Psufencer
02-06-2006, 06:20 AM
Mainly, I wanted to have something to do to clear my mind, and to learn something. But I'm not a fan of competitions. Aikido was perfect.

Cheers!

rottunpunk
02-06-2006, 06:52 AM
i started to keep fit after my shoulder prevented me from carrying on with kendo.
and i wanted something that would compliment my iai (though it is completely different really)
also, i was inspired by a guy from home home that does aiki.

i enjoy it, though its hard being totally useless at something again
:p

Esaemann
02-06-2006, 07:19 AM
My Tai Chi instructor (friend) suggested it.
He knows me and that I have too much Yang energy (high strung), and that karate (which he also teaches) would not help me be a calmer person.

Amir Krause
02-06-2006, 07:36 AM
Heard great things about Aikido from a Kaate instructor I met. Then read some miraculus things about it in sources I now understand had no idea about the art.

And then I found a great teacher and got in love :blush: :cool:

Now I can't get enough, even after more then 15 yrs :rolleyes:


Amir

Edwin Neal
02-06-2006, 08:07 AM
for complete training... mind, body, spirit... to conquer evil, and protect all things...

chris w
02-06-2006, 08:29 AM
to come as close to perfection as i possibly can.

Edwin Neal
02-06-2006, 08:40 AM
:cool:
the hard part is not the perfection... but rather removing our imperfections...

justinmaceachern
02-06-2006, 09:40 AM
i joined to find something i was looking for. at first i did not know what that was. now i realize what i was looking for i already had. i dont know what exactly Aikido does to you but iknow that it has helped me a lot. i have better interaction with people and have setled my spirit down. i used to be a whiled man. and now i realize violence is not the answer.
I hope you all have great reasons to join, it realy is a wonder full way of life.

Trish Greene
02-06-2006, 11:43 AM
My son was interested in a martial arts but I didn't want to put him in to a "tae Kwon Do " factory. I;ve always had an interest as well. We started off with Jujitsufor about 6 mos, then moved from the area. One night when I went to pick him up from Scouts, I couldn't find him. He ended up being next door at the "new dojo" that just opened up. I found him there enthralled with watching Miller Sensei practice. I was blown away by the graceful intention of the moves!

Lyle Bogin
02-06-2006, 01:19 PM
I've stuck it out because aikido helped me learn restraint.

Dajo251
02-06-2006, 02:33 PM
I will give my true answer since I already posted my smart ass one. My brother started taking aikido in seattle, after him telling me about it, I decided to try a class, and I loved it, I was hooked, two years later my instructor decided to retire, and I really wasnt a big fan of anyof the other aikido schools around, so 6 years down the road I get there urge to go check out a class, and the instructor was one of the senior students from my old school, I watched a class at first and just had a huge smile on my face from the beginning so I signed up right there and am back into it.....

Michael Meister
02-06-2006, 02:43 PM
I stumbled over it, and got stuck... that's it, more or less...

neaikikai
02-06-2006, 03:30 PM
I saw the new Steven Seagal movie at that time with my brother, I never seen anything like it, he told me if you like aikido, then go see Mitsunari Kanai Shihan. He was 5 miles from my house. If there wasn't a top notch Sensei, I wouldn't have started. When I learn anything, I like to go to very respected teachers, or I don't have the motivation. So in my case being close to New England Aikikai is the reason.

crbateman
02-06-2006, 10:54 PM
...he told me if you like aikido, then go see Mitsunari Kanai Shihan.A very good one, and gone before his time. You were fortunate to have had the opportunity.

Nick Simpson
02-07-2006, 03:26 AM
I like it. I was always interested in japanese culture and history, having friends whose parents worked in japan and brought home a lot of cool stuff and stories. Dabbled with karate (not my thing) and Iaido (not many teachers up here). As a teenager I got very into japanese History and read a lot of books, hagakure, book of 5 rings etc etc. I read Angry White Pyjama's in 2000, on the reccomendation of my dad and I thought it was a good book (im aware of the issues with it folks :) ) then following a trip to japan I enrolled at a university class, trained for 3 months before joining white rose aikido and loved it. Still do.

justinmaceachern
02-07-2006, 10:59 AM
I joined because i was interseted as to why these people(uke's) were always beeing flopped around. I mean i kept walking by the school everytime i went by i heard hyte crash boom. slap slap.
I was facinated so i joined, I just havent been the same since. Its quiet a powerfull feeling being apart of some thing like aikido.
I hope O'Sensei is looking down at all of us :)

koz
02-07-2006, 11:12 AM
It was the '80s and people were doing all manner of crazy things.

mickeygelum
02-19-2006, 06:50 AM
I would like to thank you all for sharing your thoughts...

Mickey

Jory Boling
02-19-2006, 07:47 AM
i watched a class (my first sensei) and then i participated in one. after i felt him "move me" without moving me i was hooked. plus they were all dressed like samurai jedis.

Toothpaste
02-19-2006, 08:28 AM
I looked up information on a wide variety of martial arts on the Internet in an attempt to find a new hobby that would be a benefit to me. I did not want training in a violent or competition-orientated art because I felt that competition would sway me from my personal goals, and that unrequired violence would interfere with the ethics that I live by, so the logical choice was Aikido.

I did some more research and found a dojo near my home and I started training. I was (and probably still am, but to a lesser degree) a fairly shy individual, but Aikido is rapidly helping me with confidence and other attributes of my life. The people at the club, especially the Sensei, were all very nice people and made me feel very welcome.

The Fates really have conspired in my favor. I now, by a complete twist of fate, live opposite my Sensei's home and I catch a lift in his car to each session.

Aikido has had such a positive impact on my life, and in the process of trying to finding a fun hobby, I've opened up the doorway to a whole realm I had no idea existed.

Josh Reyer
02-19-2006, 11:32 AM
Of all the places near my house, Twin Cities Aikido Center looked the best. It was neither a franchise, nor a fly-by-night operation, nor the Cobra Kai. My sister and I watched a class, received some brochures, and later decided to join. It seemed like a good art, with a good philosophy. The monthly fee of only $20 for students was also inviting.

mathewjgano
02-19-2006, 04:09 PM
I value both idealism and practicality equally and feel the best forms of each are inclusive of the other. After reading about various arts I found Aikido fit best with my idealism; after training a little while I felt it was also a practical approach...besides, it was hard for me to avoid training at a mountain shrine set beside a river like Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja...it kind of sets up a fun atmosphere for someone like me who grew up pretending I was a ninja every chance I got. Things have changed quite a bit since then, but it's still very fun to get thrown around!!! ;)

Robert Broyles
02-19-2006, 08:10 PM
The 1st time I saw a Aikido class.The Instructor and another student were on the mat. The student punched towards the instructors abdomen hard and fast. He turned (tenkan) just being missed by an inch, lading the attacker, he turned in kotegaeshi and the uke, feet nearly missing the ceiling. he fell gracefully into a hard fall. I couldn't believe what had just happened. From that day on i have been training religiously. Hey Some people Golf for enjoyment, and good for them. I practice Aikido.

xuzen
02-19-2006, 09:17 PM
I am curious as to why most have pursued Aikido...If you would kindly share your thoughts I would be very grateful.
Mickey

The aikido dojo is the only one which fit my time-table within reasonable distance.

Dirk Hanss
02-20-2006, 03:06 AM
My first reply was more about why I started. In general why aikido?

It is simply the best!

Dirk

doronin
02-21-2006, 01:23 AM
From my early years I was captivated by the very idea of going with the flow, and making use of its own force to get where I want to be, instead of opposing, fighting with it.

Aikido was the only art I knew that would teach me that.

Mark Freeman
06-24-2006, 04:04 AM
I hope O'Sensei is looking down at all of us :)

He may well be Justin, and I bet he's not always smiling! ;)

graham
06-24-2006, 05:16 AM
Great question!

From the age of 8 I studied Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Fencing, Kung-fu), but packed it in around 17. Then, aged 31, I realised a couple of things: the Estate that we had recently moved onto was rougher than it seemed (I part-work in Community Development) - so I wanted my daughter to learn self-defence. Though I now advocated non-violence, I really missed training, especially Hung Kuen. I needed to learn to relax. Finally,part of my work involves violence intervention and prevention (spouse abuse, bullying, etc.).

So, in the light of all that, how could I not study Aikido?! :) After I looked into things a bit, it turned out that a student of Sensei K. Williams taught about 5 minutes from my house. And now my daughter and I wouldn't leave if you paid us!

kuniggety
06-24-2006, 05:43 AM
Honestly, I got into it because it was the only thing around here besides karate that I could find, lol. Don't get me wrong, karate is cool, but I studied it as a kid for a couple of years and just wanted to do something different. When I went and watched my first class, I was in awe. My sensei was making large men (although he's a decent sized guy himself) drop to their knees in agony and fly through the air as easily as he was swatting away a gnat. I was in awe and am now hooked :) Although, I currently feel like that gnat... lol

Jonathan Han
06-24-2006, 09:31 AM
I think there's a strong aesthetic appeal to Aikido. Unlike most McDojos, Aikido dojos are usually very nicely decorated and feel more like a shrine than a gym. O Sensei looks like an archetype of a martial arts master. Even though other styles offer similar techniques and also promises spiritual growth, Aikido makes one feel like one is practicing a superior sophisticated art. It might be the Japanese sense of style and ritual. The experience is like staying in a four star hotel compared to a cheap motel.

Tom Johnson
06-24-2006, 09:36 AM
I was looking for a martial art school somewhere near my house, as I realized i was 19 and couldn't defend myself what so ever (I live on the border of the ghetto). I checked out an online database of Martial Art styles with descriptions of each. I was actually drawn to kung-fu originally but the dojo was a little bit of a hike, and the general mood of the class was too competitive for me.

After looking into Aikido, I found out that it is offered through my university (Old Dominion University), so i registered and checked it out, only to go and realize that it was much to strict and boot camp-like for me. I came on this site and ran a dojo search and learned about Aikido of Norfolk, taught by Jim Baker Sensei, and after viewing a class I was hooked! I attend every class i can and don't plan on stopping any time soon.

shadowedge
06-24-2006, 11:40 AM
I've tried a few different arts before I studied aikido....

I realized that for me to be efficient in the previous arts required that i have to be physically superior (most of the time).
Plus during sparing we'd exert too much energy... it made me think, how will this be useful if i just waste my energy on an opponent i probabbly can't beat?

I came accross Akido years ago, we were taught how to conserve our own "ki" while, guiding/ directing the opponent's. On top of that one big difference it had from the other arts was the search for inner peace... it taught me to deal with my worst enemy >> myself.

and I've been in love with the art since...

________

on top of that >> its really cool! :D

UnholyFracas
06-28-2006, 05:36 AM
By Accident. I'd always wanted to try a Martial Art but despite enjoying Karate & Tae Kwon Do I still just gave the sports up without a qualm when the clubs finished.
Then, 6/7 (8?) years ago my Mum took me to a class (she started in her 60s and got 3rd Kyu, she's my hero!) and something clicked. I don't actually remember how I felt on my first lesson but it must have had some affect on me as I'm still here training and will be until I keel over. :)

Mathew Cartwright
06-29-2006, 01:27 AM
I looked up information on a wide variety of martial arts on the Internet in an attempt to find a new hobby that would be a benefit to me. I did not want training in a violent or competition-orientated art because I felt that competition would sway me from my personal goals, and that unrequired violence would interfere with the ethics that I live by, so the logical choice was Aikido.

I did some more research and found a dojo near my home and I started training. I was (and probably still am, but to a lesser degree) a fairly shy individual, but Aikido is rapidly helping me with confidence and other attributes of my life. The people at the club, especially the Sensei, were all very nice people and made me feel very welcome.

The Fates really have conspired in my favor. I now, by a complete twist of fate, live opposite my Sensei's home and I catch a lift in his car to each session.

Aikido has had such a positive impact on my life, and in the process of trying to finding a fun hobby, I've opened up the doorway to a whole realm I had no idea existed.

This is also my story aswell, pretty funny reading something written by someone else who shares your first name and has a very similar experience. (all except living across the road from sensei :) )

xuzen
06-29-2006, 01:42 AM
Why did I take up aikido?

I have hakama fetish...

Boon.

actoman
06-29-2006, 07:29 AM
Because I wanted to squint my brow like Seagal and mean it....

Really, I saw a small guy throwing dudes around in Central Park one day while jogging, took my first class and was deeply impressed.